The EU is in the Philippines for the long haul

Recently I was very pleased to read the reactions we got on the EU Delegation’s Facebook. One comment mentioned the EU’s support after Yolanda, another comment reminded that the EU has been actively supporting the Philippines already since the 80s.

Both comments are very true. The EU has been a major partner to the Philippines since the EDSA revolution. Currently the EU is committing €50 million (P2.7 billion) a year to the Philippines, and if we add to this the support coming from the EU Member States it more than doubles the amount to €110 million (P5.9 billion).

Keep in mind that this support is pure grant money. It is given by the EU to the Philippines, not because we expect something in return. We believe that we can support the Philippines in programmes and projects that the Government needs to launch to fulfill its objectives so that the Philippines can develop faster into a modern society where hopefully soon many of the problems facing the country today will be things of the past.

Europe is rich and generous. Europe has for many years been sharing its knowledge, its technology, its culture and also its wealth with other parts of the world. In the day to day headlines of newspapers it is easy to focus on different crises, but in my mind there is little doubt that Europe is one of the best places to live in the world. It is rich. (GDP per capita is 10 times that of the Philippines), it is orderly, it is a peaceful continent with a strong emphasis on values and human dignity.

The EU is happy to share the knowledge and experiences with the Philippines through many channels. Many Filipino students have travelled to Europe to study benefitting from generous scholarships, and a large number of development programmes have been conducted nationwide in a variety of sectors.

Today, we have more than 100 development programmes in the Philippines. They are carried out in a range of sectors, cities and regions of the country. We have a strong focus on health, trade and investment, good governance/rule of law, health, environment, human rights, indigenous people, conflict prevention and peace. Looking forward the focus will be on sustainable energy, job creation and on implementing the (expected) peace agreement in Mindanao.

Let me give a couple of concrete examples, the EU financed last year 162 “dental buses.” The buses are constructed as transportable dental clinics and are reaching remote areas and offering dental treatment to people who otherwise would not receive treatment. We have recently financed 104 heath facilities and have provided medical equipment nationwide. We are financing 75 MA scholarships in Public Health for doctors. I could mention many other activities in the health sector, including one in Mindanao, just north of Davao, where we have spent €7 million to improve the maternal health of indigenous people.

This commitment to the Philippines is longstanding; and independent of short term political considerations. I would like to illustrate this by sharing an old story with you. Almost 30 years ago, in 1987, when I was a young official, my Director in Brussels was traveling in Ifugao, in the Central Cordillera together with four colleagues, to consult with local communities on how best to support rural development in the area. He, and his colleagues, ended up being abducted by an armed group from the NPA, who started questioning him in great detail about what he was doing, who he worked for, there were many questions. My Director had a hard time to explain that he was actually just there to help the poor to have a better life in future. The task was not made easier by the fact that none of the armed people knew what the EU (or as it was called back then the EC) was; and they found it difficult to understand why the EU was helping the Philippines without asking anything in return. Luckily, after 7 hours of being held captive, he and his colleagues were let go without being physically harmed. But when he returned to Brussels after this unusual experience his message was that the Philippines was in dire need of assistance from Europe and we should try to do even more for the country.

The same commitment from Europe to the Philippines can be seen on the business side. The oldest European Chamber of Commerce, is the one in the Philippines. It started almost 40 years ago, in 1978 and remarkably, the person who set it up is still here in Manila.

Today, Europe is the biggest foreign investor in the Philippines. European companies have for many years looked at the Philippines not only as a promising market with an attractive labour force but also as a destination welcoming businessmen and their families to live in harmony. Today the European Chamber of Commerce represents 800 companies, and has branched out to Cebu and Davao.

Earlier this week, I was in Puerto Princesa to launch an Anti-Red-Tape-Caravan (ARTA), a project that the EU is financing, based on an idea jointly developed by the government and the European Chamber of Commerce and other partners. It is an example of how we work hand in hand with the government to implement shared objectives – in this case with a strong focus on fighting corruption. The project seeks to include local government units in the promotion of good governance into a wider integrity initiative.

Together with the new government, we are now seeking to align our development assistance as best as possible with the new priorities. One particular promising area for cooperation is the implementation of a peace agreement in Mindanao. Such an area would fit well into the EU’s overall agenda, of peace and stability, poverty alleviation and the promotion of human rights.

The EU is in the Philippines for the long haul.

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(Franz Jessen is the Ambassador of the European Union)